As she passed the dining-room, she heard the gentlemen consulting together.  Then Peter began to speak.  She noticed the pleasant depth of his voice, and said to herself that Henrica would like to hear it.  A few minutes after she entered the apartment, to greet her husband’s guests, who were also hers.  Joyous excitement and the rapid walk through the air of the May evening, which, though the day had been warm, was still cool, had flushed her cheeks and, as she modestly crossed the threshold with a respectful greeting, which nevertheless plainly revealed the pleasure afforded by the visit of such guests, she looked so winning and lovely, that not a single person present remained unmoved by the sight.  The older Herr Van der Does clapped Peter on the shoulder and then struck the palm of his hand with his fist, as if to say:  “I won’t question that!” Janus Dousa whispered gaily to Van Hout, who was a good Latin scholar: 

“Oculi sunt in amore duces.”

Captain Allertssohn started up and raised his hand to his hat with a military salute; Van Bronkhorst, the Prince’s Commissioner, gave expression to his feelings in a courtly bow, Doctor Bontius smiled contentedly, like a person who has successfully accomplished a hazardous enterprise, and Peter proudly and happily strove to attract his wife’s attention to himself.  But this was not to be, for as soon as Maria perceived that she was the mark for so many glances, she lowered her eyes with a deep blush, and then said far more firmly than would have been expected from her timid manner: 

“Welcome, gentlemen!  My greeting comes late, but I would have gladly offered it earlier.”

“I can bear witness to that,” cried Doctor Bontius, rising and shaking hands with Maria more cordially than ever before.  Then he motioned towards Peter, and exclaimed to the assembled guests:  “Will you excuse the burgomaster for a moment?”

As soon as he stood apart with the husband and wife at the door, he began: 

“You have invited a new visitor to the house, Frau Van der Werff; I won’t drink another drop of Malmsey, if I’m mistaken.”

“How do you know?” asked Maria gaily.  “I see it in your face.”

“And the young lady shall be cordially welcome to me,” added Peter.

“Then you know?” asked Maria.

The doctor did not conceal his conjecture from me.”

“Why yes, the sick girl will be glad to come to us, and to-morrow—­”

“No, I’ll send for her to-day,” interrupted Peter.  “To-day?  But dear me!  It’s so late; perhaps she is asleep, the gentlemen are here, and our spare bed—­” exclaimed Maria, glancing disapprovingly and irresolutely from the physician to her husband.

“Calm yourself; child,” replied Peter.  “The doctor has ordered a covered litter from St. Catharine’s hospital, Jan and one of the city-guard will carry her, and Barbara has nothing more to do in the kitchen and is now preparing her own chamber for her.”